Iron Spider
by TheBlackBane
Summary: Set after Spider-Man: Homecoming. Peter is still in an internship and under the guidance of Tony Stark, but he has a secret, and Tony knows. But once it's discovered, he realizes there's more to his own feelings than friendship with the man. W: M/M / Underage / Sexual Content / Transgender Spiderman. Using Tom Holland and original Spider-Man suit (2002). Ideas for the story? PM me.
1. Chapter 1

Not many knew it, except for his close friends at school, and that was as far as Peter was willing to go with his secret. M.J and Ned were good friends - friends he could trust with anything, and he wouldn't have to fear about it backfiring, nor would have to fear about anyone discovering what he was hiding through them.

For years, Peter always thought himself to be different. Infact, when he was alot younger, he was a _she._ When growing up, it wasn't about rainbows, unicorns and barbies - no, it was about racing cars, toy soldiers and football. That made him realize that he was _different_ , but different wasn't always something bad. And Peter knew very well, that if a man is what he wanted to be, he should go through with it. And that left no room for doubts, there couldn't be any.

Aunt May, however, was not aware of this. She simply assumed that Zoe was a girl going through a phase, or prefered a style of clothing that wasn't as girly as most girls preferred it. Zoe was never one to wear skirts, dresses or skanky outfits - Zoe was always covered up in oversized t-shirts, vests and long, broad pants that were rather shaggy and loose. But this wasn't just something that would last a few months - this would last forever, at least the clothing style was something that remained permanent.

Peter was the name he had chosen, and he found it fitting, but Aunt May kept calling him Zoe on a daily basis, and he wasn't sure how to cope with that, because he felt his blood boiling at such points, and the body dysphoria that he experienced was getting worse, day by day. In school, he was known as Peter, but at home, he became Zoe again, and that was something he never looked forward to. Don't misunderstand, he loved his aunt, but he wasn't sure if he told her, that she would understand him. Truly _understand_ him.

And ontop of that, he met Tony Stark - also known as Iron Man. Fortunately for Peter, Tony had never witnessed an occasion that Aunt May called him a her, and for Peter, he hoped that occasion would never happen. He was trying to keep the man from his house, and he succeeded for now. Ever since the day Tony was inside his house, he managed to uphold his entire 'male' identity, but at some point, he would have to come clean, to Stark, and to his aunt, and that moment was messing with his mind, because he feared he'd lose everything he had. But could he afford such consequences as he was Spider-man? He didn't want to find out.

The young man lied on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he just came home from school, and he had just eaten dinner with Aunt May. He just wasn't feeling right today, and he felt very uncomfortable. The ace bandages around his chest were tight, and they were practically pressuring his ribs and all underneath. It was a suffocating sensation, but he didn't want to take them off, because he'd see _them_ again. He _hated_ them. When he drifted into his thoughts, his phone rang for a moment, indicating he had received a message. So Peter leaned forth and grabbed his phone, opening the message and staring at the screen.

'Hey, kid. Come by the lab today, I've something interesting to show you. T.S.'

He swallowed. The internship he had with Stark was pleasant, and he was learning alot. Even after everything that happened, and not having accepted to join the Avengers, he still could go there from time to time to learn more. Truly, he was very grateful as Stark had the most advanced tech that one could possibly dream of, and Peter envied that. Eventually, Peter texted back after a few moments, nodding to himself.

'Alright, see you soon. P.P'

With the message sent, he grabbed his backpack with his spidey-suit, and moved downstairs. ''I'm going to M.J's, so I'll be home in a few hours, Aunt May!'' He stopped infront of the door, waiting for a response that came a few moments later. ''Alright, dear. Be home before ten, please.'' He nodded once again, pulled open the door and closed it after him. Fortunately, he didn't live that far away from Stark Tower - or the Avengers Tower - whichever was better now. He arrived about half an hour after and was let inside by JARVIS, Tony's personal AI that already opened the doors for the young man.

When he took the elevator down to the lab, he was greeted by Tony who already was busy with something. The genius seemed busy again, as always, and that didn't surprise Peter. Though, what surprised him, is when he walked inside and saw Tony smile, gesturing closer and motioning with his hand to a large screen infront of him, displaying a suit, and it was not that of Iron Man. It was the one of Peter. ''So, uh, how's everything, Mister Stark?'' Tony looked at the kid with some amusement as he shrugged lightly. ''I'm not hungry, so that's a plus.'' Peter stepped closer and looked at the screen, trying to decipher what he was seeing on it, since he gave Stark the sizes of his suit, which was made and adjusted for him, but it was _so_ tight. So tight he could barely breathe in it. He wanted to tell Tony, but he felt ashamed, and if anything, he wasn't sure how he would respond.

Even in the past months, Peter felt different around his supposed mentor. Tony Stark was a respected man, a little rough around the edges, but he had his charm, and he was a kind man who always was ready to help and joke around. That's what Peter enjoyed. He was easy to get along with, if you could put aside how reckless he was at times, but without saying, that was a trait they both shared. ''This is my suit, right?'' The young man asked questionably as he gazed towards Tony who was moving his hands around and on the screen to zoom in on his suit and several parts of it. ''That's right. I've put everything I possibly could think of in your suit, but I've been told that your breathing becomes irregular when you've been in it for too long. Now, I tend to wonder why, since you gave me your size and I adjusted it. -But-, still 'Karen' keeps telling me you're struggling.'' Tony folded his arms, lifting a brow and eying Peter in anticipation for an answer.

Shit, is what Peter thought. He couldn't tell him. Not right now. He was preparing himself for the right moment, and this is definitely not the time to share such a thing. He gave Tony an awkward smile and looked aside, avoiding the man's gaze which was practically drilling into his skull. ''Well..'' He muttered, scratching the side of his head. ''Maybe..- _Maybe_ I gave the wrong size..'' He cleared his throat, swallowing a lump that he hoped would disappear. He felt extremely nervous and he was trying to keep his cool infront of the man. Tony stared for a moment before he tapped the pen against his own lips and shook his head. ''That's funny. You want to know why?'' Peter shook his head as he looked down again, finding the floor suddenly fascinating. ''Because I have the feeling you're not telling me everything, Petey.''

Peter nervously laughed. Oh, no. ''W-why would I keep things from you, Mister Stark? Don't make such weird jokes..'' The genius might know more than he lets on, and Peter was feeling paranoid with that thought in his head. He couldn't possibly know. ''Call me Tony, first off. We had this talk before. And also, I don't know. Maybe because I have your medical file here..and your gender..'' Tony once again stared at Peter, and this time, he wasn't going to let it slip by.

''Ah..- that's funny.'' Peter laughed lowly as he started to look around, preparing himself for the best way to escape out of the lab, and hopefully, Stark Tower. He had to get out. He felt his heart pounding in his chest and the fact the ace bandages were adding extra pressure didn't make it any better on his shortage of breath. He started to rub his left arm, fiddling with the material of the brown jacket as he eyed the man again. ''Well..- I..'' He managed to say something, atleast, even if it was completely incoherent. Tony sighed in mild annoyance, placing the pen down on the table and moving towards Peter. He then placed both his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked at him with a rather serious expression. ''Look. I don't care about the 'what', or the 'who', but when it comes down to your health, you have to be completely honest to me, because I'm the one taking responsibility for you when something happens.''

Tony's voice was surprisingly calm, and soft, and that felt strange to Peter. He was trembling.

''...I'm sorry, Tony.'' He muttered out as he looked upto the man and then back to the side. ''I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid of what you might think of me..- but I suppose I should've known you'd get access to all my files..- I mean, you _are_ Tony Stark..'' Tony gave the man a supportive squeeze in both his shoulders before he released him, but he stayed where he was, inside Peter's personal space. ''Yeah. You should've been honest with me from the get-go, kid. Not sure what's going on, but don't feel mandatory to tell me. But I need your proper sizes and I'll be doing the measuring myself this time.'' Peter nodded in defeat as he sighed out. ''I'm transgender, Tony.. - that means I'm -..'' Tony grinned for a moment as he eyed Peter over. ''You're trapped in the wrong body, and you're reluctant to tell anyone about it because you feel like they'd treat you differently. Believe me, Peter, I might be older and stuff, but that doesn't mean I've not been in situations like yours. You know, regarding the fact people might treat you differently.'' With that, Tony turned towards the screen again, gesturing to the suit's front. ''I'll add more space around your chest, and I'll add abit between the legs that'll make it more...manly. - Also, kiddo'. Are you wearing bandages or something underneath?''

What the hell was happening? Peter couldn't believe his ears and eyes as he stood there, eying Tony like he wasn't bothered by the fact he was transgender. He just took it as it came, and he even understood it. ''..I'm -..yeah, I'm wearing ace bandages..'' Tony paused as he glanced at Peter with some concern. ''Ay-yay-yay.'' He said in a tone that hinted that he knew that was the problem, and that it definitely ought to be painful. ''I'll get you proper binders..- and uh, I'll also get you started on the entire process of undergoing surgery and hormone injections. - which reminds me, you're underage, which _also_ means that your Aunt would have to sign the paper for approval. I'm guessing she doesn't know?''

''No…- she doesn't. I -..I could -..maybe I can find a way around it..'' Peter mumbled as he moved his arms around himself, feeling cold all of a sudden as he thought of telling Aunt May. He had imagined alot of different scenarios in his head, and they weren't very positive.

''Oh, come on. Such a sweet old lady as herself? I'm pretty sure you can tell her _anything.''_ Tony said with a supportive smile, leaning against the table and looking over at Peter.

''Alright, babysteps. We'll begin with the suit and the binders. In time, we'll get the application and the 'talk'...'' He then picked up the pen again and pointed it at the screen once more. ''Now. I did say I have a surprise, and it's integrated into your suit. Frankly, we didn't have vibranium as Cap'n took it with him, so I've reinforced some parts with titanium. I think that's pretty much it.''

''Wooh! Thank you, mi- Tony!'' Peter lit up all of a sudden, smiling brightly. He wanted to ask about the Captain, but maybe right now it wasn't an ideal time. Not for either of them.

''All's good, Petey. Just know you can be honest with me. I don't judge - well, not mostly. How about you come by tomorrow and let me get your measures? I think you'll need some rest today. And it's also almost ten.'' Peter's eyes widened. Almost ten?! ''Shit! I gotta run! I'll text you, Tony! Thanks so much again! Bye!'' And with that, Peter ran out of the lab, out of the Tower, and back to his home.

Tony chuckled as he watched the kid run out. ''Jarvis?'' He said shortly after. ''Yes, sir?'' Tony glanced around his lab for a moment before nodding. ''Get me some shawarma. I'm hungry again.''


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as Peter came home, he tried to be as silent as possible, knowing it was ten minutes past ten, and he was late. Well, what's ten minutes, right? He didn't think it was that bad, considering it was also weekend, so nobody had to get up early in the morning. Save for him, because he was Spider-Man, and that didn't always allow for sleep-ins, but when he could, it was great. It allowed his bones rest, and his chest, because he wouldn't have to wear that damn tight suit again for the entire day, and that was one big plus for him.

When he managed to go upstairs and into his room, he thanked the gods for his stealth skills, because if he didn't have them, Aunt May would've likely heard him. But she was old - and she would always go to bed quite early, and perhaps even then she wouldn't have heard him. Peter was so grateful he could live with her, and _still_ live with her after everything that he had been through in the past months. Even if he didn't get the girl of his dreams, he was quite happy with other things: his aunt was still well and alive - he had his friends and his school, and he still was tutored by Tony Stark, which was just unbelievable. That man had taught him many things, and the most important thing was that he should _always_ believe in himself, because suits don't make you great - you do.

As the young man got into his room, he locked it and threw the backpack next to his bed, looking around for a moment before he moved to his mirror and removed the brown jacket from his torso, and then pulled the white shirt from over his head and onto his bed. He cleared his throat as he stared at his reflection, being met with a bandaged torso and a conflicted image of what he should look like - and this wasn't it. He took a sharp inhale through his nose to keep himself composed as he looked away, starting to remove the pin from the bandages and slowly unwrapping them before rolling them up and placing them away in his drawers, deep, deep in the back where his nosey Aunt couldn't find them. He was so relieved he could breathe properly without the tightness around his chest, it was a wonderful sensation and someday, he would have this sensation without _them_ on it. When he finished undressing and moved into his pyjamas - which weren't really pyjamas, just a shirt and short pants, he jumped into his bed and dug himself underneath the covers with his phone on the nightstand. Tomorrow he would see Tony again. Why was he excited for that?

He sighed lowly as he stirred in his bed, struggling to fall asleep with so many things on his mind. For one, he couldn't believe why Tony kept quiet about it all these months, knowing that he wasn't physically a he. Not even one word about it, or even looks that implied that he know or doubted about Peter's identity. Perhaps Tony respected him, and knew it already back then right from the start. Afterall, a woman that called herself Spider-Man wasn't making much sense, but if a man did it, that would make _so much sense._ Peter ran his hands through his hair as he pulled the covers further up on his chest, staring at the wall ahead in the consuming darkness that surrounded him. If he knew before, why didn't he complain about Peter's little secret before and his supposed concern and responsibility about his health? Maybe he should ask that tomorrow. It was only minutes after that he fell into deep sleep and he managed a vague smile.

When morning came, the sun dawned its rays upon his window, and with the brightness of it in his eyes, he couldn't help but wake up this early. He felt well rested, and he also felt thrilled, because now he wasn't going to Tony to stop villians - no, now he was going to Tony because he'd be getting his suit adjusted so he could finally have a proper suit that didn't push the air out of his chest, but admittedly, that was entirely his own fault, not Tony's. He shook his head and got up, taking a shower, bandaging himself again and shoving himself in the typical clothes a man would wear. When he came down the stairs, he heard that Aunt May was already awake and cooking eggs on the stove. ''Good morning.'' He muttered with a light yawn that escaped from his lips as he walked to the kitchen and smiled at her. She looked over to him in return and smiled aswell, gesturing to the eggs in the pan. ''Would you like some, dear?'' Peter sat down at the kitchen table and hung his backpack on the backrest of the chair before nodding eagerly. ''Yes, please. I'd love them.'' She placed the baked eggs on his plate and then turned the gas off, sitting down infront of him as she pressed her hands together. ''I wanted to talk to you about something, Zoe.'' Peter internally cringed at the name, his brows furrowing slightly before he snapped out of it - he couldn't do this. ''..Oh. What's it about?'' He questioned as he cut the egg on his plate, prodding it with his fork. ''Well. Are you still going to this internship with Tony Stark? You don't tell me much about him.''

He sighed in relief as he shoved the egg in his mouth, chewed it and finally answered. ''Yeah, I still am. He's got really interesting tech'. Like you wouldn't believe it if you saw it. You also know he's -'' She smiled at him, eying his plate before looking to him again, brushing a white strand behind her ear. ''He is Iron Man. Yes, I know. I don't believe he is trying to hide that very much, dear.'' Peter chuckled lowly. Tony definitely wasn't one to hide who he was, unlike Peter, and somehow, that felt so liberating. Now he actually wondered why he told her he was going to M.J's before when it obviously wasn't the case. Maybe it was because he worried that Aunt May didn't quite trust Tony Stark and his fancy technology.

''I'm actually going over to him in a bit if you don't mind.'' She lifted a brow at that. ''Oh my. In the weekend? I would've thought him quite the busy man.'' He swallowed and ate the rest of the eggs on his plate before he placed the fork and knife on it and leaned back in his chair, sighing contently. ''Maybe he has more free time lately. Or he's just motivated by teaching me alot of stuff. Actually helps alot in school.'' He felt a little nervous now she was asking him so many questions - it almost felt like an interrogation, except he wasn't in a police station.

''Anyway.'' He said as he got up, taking the backpack and sliding the strap over his shoulder. ''I should get going. I don't want to be late.'' She smiled softly and nodded again. ''Be careful, alright? You never know what could happen out there. And please be home around five - we can eat pizza if you like.'' Peter blinked several times. ''Pizza? That's awesome, thank you!'' He grabbed his coat and moved outside the door before closing it behind him and wandering outside.

From outside, he could see it was around eleven AM, and that was a good time to take a stroll around in the city before he'd be heading to Tony's. Perhaps he could see if anything was going around. As he walked through the streets, he couldn't help but notice that in one of the alleyways someone was being bullied by several men, and it looked very serious. So he didn't want to wait incase the person would get stabbed because he was too busy putting on his suit, so with his backpack secure on his back, he ran into the alleyway and looked at what was going on. Three men were pushing a girl against the wall, tugging at her clothes and hitting her several times as she'd cry - the men were, if anything, in their late thirties, and she herself could be a teenager, not older than seventeen or eighteen.

''Hey, leave the girl alone.'' He said as he saw the three look at him and laugh immediately. Honestly, he wasn't impressed or intimidated anymore - he had seen alot of people trying to strike fear into his heart, and they weren't very successful, to say the least. He advanced next to the dumpster where trash was piling from the inside as he furrowed his brows. ''Honestly, are you three deaf?'' One of the men wasn't having the insults, perhaps he was sensitive, and he showed that by approaching Peter and attempting to throw a punch at his face. Peter wasn't having that either, so he ducked down and avoided it easily. ''Let's not be violent, okay? We can all go on our merry ways and we'll have a great day. What about it? Deal?'' The other two guys released the girl, which was what Peter was hoping for as he wooshed with his hand, indicating for her to make a run for it as they now all three were focused on him. But he couldn't go all out - he was just a student now, not Spider-Man.

One of the guys tried to grab his hands from behind him, and Peter merely turned around and kicked him right in the knee, which made the man stumble back before groaning from the pain. ''No deal? Okay. Well, I suppose we'll have to compromise? I'll buy you all some viagra and a porn subscription. Happy days?'' They glared daggers at him, and he was smiling in amusement. To be honest, he loved joking around, but being around Tony made his sarcasm surface even more.

The blonde man now noticed the girl was gone, and that really pissed him off - so much that he punched Peter right in the face, and that _hurt_. The impact had him colliding with the wall behind him, and the same blonde now made way to him, to keep him where he was. ''You little _shit_. Who're you to go sticking your nose into people's business! Boys, take an arm!'' He motioned to the pair as Peter's arms were taken and gripped, so he couldn't move from his position. ''Just a little shit, as you said.'' The boy spewed back with acid as he swallowed. He could move..- very easily, but he couldn't expose who he was. So he endured untill he had another opportunity to get out of this.

One of the men now took out a pocket knife and handed it to the supposed 'leader' of the three, the blonde, and he now kept it as Peter's throat, sliding it down his shirt and raking it open, but he felt that something was _off._ ''What the hell!'' He exclaimed as he looked down at Peter's chest and then upto the man's eyes and scoffed lowly. ''Seems we got ourselves some transvestite, boys. What shall we do…'' Peter furrowed his brows at the term - he wasn't _that_. But it hit him deep, and hard. He didn't think it would affect him, but it did, and he slowly felt like he was about to collapse. Tears were forming in his eyes and this something he never thought would happen - his identity hurting him. ''Well, he let our girl get away..- Or should we say she..''

The bald man grinned and looked Peter over with dark eyes that hinted something disgusting. ''Yeah. She..- so what's your name, girl..'' They peered at Peter with big smiles as his eyes started to flood with tears and he shook his head. ''Stop..- please.'' He genuinely felt weak in his knees, and he couldn't do anything. But he knew he could, but..- it just felt like he was numb in his bones. When one of them tried to push their hand into his pants, he closed his eyes tightly and cried out further. But it wasn't long before they heard something land nearby, and the impact of it indicated it was something heavy.

Peter didn't want to open his eyes - he blocked out all the sounds around him. That was untill he couldn't hear anything anymore and he felt something staring at him. When he opened them, he saw what it was, or rather, who it was. ''..S-..Iron Man.'' He swallowed as he pressed himself further back into the wall, evidently not too pleased with being so bare before the man he idolized. ''Peter.'' He said through his helm as he looked the boy over and spotted the open shirt that looked like it was cut open forcefully. His eyes then set onto Peter's teary ones that were red from crying before he shook his head and moved towards him. ''It's okay..- don't worry, alright. I got you. Let's get back to my place.'' Tony's voice, how much he tried to sound normal, was full of concern as he took the man in his arms and they flew back to the Tower without any interruptions. Behind them, Tony left a heap of three men, piled ontop of eachother, bruised and beaten.

The young boy was absolutely terrified, and not in a way that he was when fighting an opponent. This was a mental assault, and it made him shiver. It made him cry. And it made him fear it would happen again. After a few seconds, everything around him went black and he fell into unconsciousness. ''It's gonna be alright, kid.'' He heard just before it.


	3. Chapter 3

Many, many thoughts went through his head. And many, many of them weren't positive ones. He had dreams of where he went back to being what he was supposed to be - a woman, and the dream was full of pain and misery. Something that was more akin to a nightmare, and it made him shudder. It made him shudder so hard that he began to cry again, to which reality snapped back to him and he awoke once again. It felt strange - he felt weak, vulnerable and exposed, and that's exactly what he was right now.

Peter slowly propped himself up on his elbows, eyes squinting together as he cleared his vision before they gazed around the room in hopes of trying to determine where he was, and by the looks of it, it was Tony's Tower - more specifically, it seemed to be on the man's floor, since its interior was what the genius preferred. However, as he came back to his senses, he could feel that there was a certain pressure gone from his chest, and that made him panic - the hairs on his arms stood up instantly as he jumped up on the bed and looked around once again, trying to locate his backpack - his clothes, or anything that belonged to him, but his belongings were nowhere to be found. And if that wasn't bad enough, when he looked down at himself, he could _see_ them again. He wore a large t-shirt with a space ship on it and several planets orbiting around the ship, as for his pants, they were baggy and loose. He swallowed as they seemed a little too big for him, and that made him think of something else.

 _Tony._

Everything of last night slowly came back to him - all of it. He remembered vividly how those men managed to gain the upper hand, and it wasn't through a physical aspect. Being mentally assaulted for living in a body you never wanted was something that damaged his very core, and it certainly felt like he was broken in pieces that were barely kept together.

Once he realized, he sat down again and crossed his legs, digging his head inbetween his knees and his arms moved to coil around the limbs in comfort.

 _Why me._

He inhaled sharply through his nose as he closed his eyes and gripped the fabric of his pants with his hands tightly, so tight his knuckles turned white and his eyes began to flood again with salt water of supposed tears. He couldn't break down here - not in the Tower of the man that taught him to be strong. That would disappoint Tony, wouldn't it? He couldn't possibly forget all the lessons he had been taught through the recents events. He had to compose himself right now, but he couldn't, it was impossible and the pieces that were held together now fell apart, shattering completely into nothingness. He became angry at himself for having these thoughts in his head, these ridiculous thoughts that he was someone else. Why couldn't he just be _normal?_ Why couldn't he be..

A knock on the door was heard as the young man lifted his head towards the source of the noise - and as he cleared his throat, he frowned, wiping his eyes and leaning back against the headboard of the bed. With no response from Peter, a second knock came and this time, he had to give an answer. ''I don't want to talk right now..'' The young man answered in a shaky voice, trying to make it sound as calm as possible, in vain.

The door opened shortly after and Tony stood at the doorway, walking inside and switching the lights on in the room that were left off because Peter had been asleep since last night, well, if you count the part where the man fell unconscious. Tony remained silent for the moment as he neared the bed, walking to the left side and eventually sitting down on the edge of it, staring at Peter. ''Look, I'm not good with sugar coating or social talks, so I'm just gonna be frank with you, kid. I don't _know_ how you feel exactly after what happened last night, and I'm not going to interrogate you about it, but I want you to know it won't happen again.''

Tony looked a little pale himself if Peter could say so, with black walls under his eyes and a concerned expression wandering over his features, as best as the genius could hide it. ''I'll give you a recap - I beat the crap out of those three, and they're in prison, so that's that. Next to that, I made sure you had a medical examination - the female nurses changed your clothes and they removed your bandages. They said you had some damage to your ribs from the pressure they perpetually applied, and it would've been dangerous if you walked any longer with them on.''

Tony gazed at Peter for a while longer, seemingly struggling to reassure the man, and he didn't seem sure of how he had to accomplish that. Peter just gazed back with reddened eyes from crying as he moved his arms around his chest to hide whatever was possibly in sight. It was one way to comfort himself again. After no response, Tony leaned in, reaching his right hand out to give the man a comforting squeeze in the shoulder, which Peter initially feared to allow. ''I took your suit from you aswell.'' Peter widened his eyes, fearing that this weakness gave Stark reason to take away his suit again like before. ''No, no.'' Tony shook his head, lifting a single digit to make a clear statement. ''Not like that. I took it because I'm adjusting it. The nurses took your measures aswell, so I figured we got that over with, and I'm sure you'd prefer it over me doing it. I actually hadn't thought that through properly. You'd be in dismay.''

Peter sighed in relief - he couldn't lose his suit, because he _loved_ that suit. And Tony was right, in one way or another. Even if Peter viewed himself as a male, his body was physically still female, and letting females see him nude was alot more preferable over a man who would see something that's not male. It just made alot more sense. ''So, what do you say to some good food and some Netflix and Chill with none other than Tony Stark himself?''

The air around the two was uncomfortable and tense at first, a little forced if anything, but Peter slowly seemed to relaxed, and he felt happy he didn't have to talk about _it_ , or talk in general, as Tony usually wanted an answer from him, but now, he was content with the expressions that Peter gave him. So when he nodded, he nodded in return with his trademark smile and got up again. But it wouldn't be long before Peter's question surfaced in his head, and the boy couldn't hold it back. ''T-..Tony, are these your clothes?'' He gestured to the shirt and pants before he looked back to the older man and fell into silence again.

''Oh, those? Yeah, ofcourse. You needed clean clothes on, and I figured you'd be opposed to wearing a dress, so - yeah, you get it.'' Tony stood at the doorway, hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants. Peter nodded, slowly, and once again, he felt strange. A feeling he often felt, but he wasn't sure where to place it, so he just dismissed it. ''U-..u- uhm, Tony?''

Tony arched a brow as he tilted his head. ''Yeah?'' Peter nervously fiddled with the sheets of the bed as he cleared his throat again. ''How..- uh, how did you find me?'' He wanted to know, because he was pretty sure that Tony -fucking- Stark wasn't patrolling the area or keeping tabs on him like a father would. ''Ah.'' Tony said with a grin, innocently. ''Considering you removed the tracker from your suit, I placed one elsewhere. In your bag, actually, since you always take it with you. School, home, and so on, and so on. So when JARVIS told me you were in some alleyway, I figured you were beating up some people, but when I turned the audio on, it didn't sound so good. That's where I came in.''

Now he felt a little special that Stark came to his rescue yet again, like he needed saving. And he did, he just didn't want to _acknowledge_ it. And he didn't want to acknowledge that he didn't _mind_ to be saved by an icon like Tony Stark - or rather, Iron Man. Tony removed his hands from his pockets and gave the kid two thumbs-up with a broad smirk, which made Peter laugh again, because honestly, Tony was such an idiot at times. ''You got me there. I guess I'm glad you put in there, because otherwise I would've..-'' He trailed off, holding his breath and closing his eyes again at the thought of what _could've_ happened.

What if Tony wasn't there? Did he owe him his life now? Did he have a debt to repay because he avoided..- _it?_ ''I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..'' Tony wasn't going to wait any longer now - and that was obvious when he walked towards Peter and moved his hand to the man's hand and pulled him out of the bed, forcing him into his living room, planting the boy on his comfortable couch, and shoving the remote in his hand. ''T-Tony..'' He muttered as he looked at the man who was walking to the kitchen and gathering some stuff, which looked like he was getting some food for the pair of them. ''W-what are you doing?'' Peter questioned as Tony looked over his shoulder and shrugged lightly. ''Making something edible, I hope. If not, we'll find out soon enough.'' He turned the TV on, and turned on Netflix on it, zapping through the genres and eventually put on White Chicks, where the two brothers went undercover as two white, rich girls to snuff out some jerk-father. ''I, uh, also wanted to thank you for saving me.'' Peter said as Tony came walking and planted the bowls of yogurt on the table, with cut fruit in them and some cereal, and it honestly looked so fresh and delicious!

The genius stared at the TV for a moment, looking rather stern as he read the description of the movie, figuring he hadn't seen it before. Peter just felt guilty at the moment as Tony did everything for him. Hell, it wouldn't surprise him if he even had to brush his teeth. After a prolonged while of silence, Tony established eye-contact with Peter again and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder in reassurance. ''Don't worry about it. It's nothing.'' _Nothing._ Surely Tony didn't mean it like -that-. Surely he meant it in the way it was no hassle for him and he was happy to help those who needed help. Yes, that was it.

Peter leaned forward and grabbed the bowls and the spoons, offering Tony's bowl to him, and the spoon, to which Tony smiled and took them with a nod. ''I love this movie. Terry Crews is like the black me in it.'' Peter still felt a little numb, down, and guilty, but when he saw Tony smile, he just had to smile in return, and he blamed it on the fact it was contagious. ''Except you're better.'' Peter added, and when he thought he _thought_ it, and realized he actually _said_ it, he wanted to jump and hide behind the couch. But why! It's just a stupid compliment! ''Well, duh.'' Tony laughed as he pursed his lips in victory. ''I'm the whole freakin' package, kid.'' For a moment, Peter thought nobody else was around, and for a moment, it felt like the world just revolved around the two of them. Where were the others? ''You are pretty great..'' He said softly as he pressed the _play_ button, and the movie started.

Peter was so grateful. An adjusted suit. Binders. Surgery, soon enough. And time with Tony Stark. He felt like a father - no, not a father. He felt like someone he could trust, always.


	4. Chapter 4

Somehow, Peter had fallen asleep during their Netflix & Chill evening. It was odd, since he had been asleep for quite long before that, and now he had fallen asleep again. He blamed himself for being in good company and being mentally vulnerable at the moment, because honestly, it took a toll on him, and he hadn't quite recovered from the ordeal just yet. But from what he remembered, it was a pleasant evening, and since the assault, he had been able to smile once again, all due to the efforts of a man named Tony Stark. He appreciated the fact that Tony didn't ask him a dozen questions about it, and he appreciated the fact that the man spent the time with him and just let the both of them relax. And knowing Tony, he figured the genius needed something to distract himself aswell and prevent his brilliant brains from going completely haywire.

He grumbled lowly as he woke up and rubbed his eyes with both his hands, stretching his arms into the air before he slipped from the bed and froze for a moment. This wasn't his room. It was Tony's. But the owner of it was nowhere to be found, and that brought questions to his mind. Perhaps now the weekend was over, he figured that the man had to go to meetings, or something business related. He sat down on the edge of the bed again and sighed softly as he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. It was then he remembered he had school and was already late - it seemed to be afternoon already!

And not only that sprung to mind, he had also forgotten Aunt May! Shit! As quickly as he could, he gathered his belongings and ran to the door, but he stopped to stare it for a moment, because there was a note on it.

 _Don't worry, I made up an excuse for your aunt and she's totally fine with everything. I also called in sick for you, so you're off the hook for a few days. Take some time to relax. We're going to grab some good food tonight at a restaurant, so don't worry about that either. I'd also take a shower, if I were you. There's clothes for you in the bathroom aswell. T.S_

Damn that man, he literally thought of everything. Peter let out a sigh of relief as he opened the door and immediately walked to the bathroom and put the dirty clothes, Tony's clothes he was wearing, into the laundry and nodded. He then prepared a towel and the clean clothes that Tony had chosen for him. It was a white shirt, with a black jacket, black jeans and brand new sneakers. It all looked expensive, way too expensive for Peter. Such luxury, he felt spoiled and that was new to him. Aside of the pile rested a black binder in his size, and he smiled to himself that the genius hadn't forgotten about that either.

When he finally cleared his mind, Peter stepped into the shower and remained in there for atleast a good half an hour before he finally turned off the water and stepped outside again to dry himself off. Showering was something he hated, and he never looked forward to it, but it had to be done. He dried his hair off and then his body before he put on the binder and the rest of clothing. For once, it felt like the pressure was applied evenly on his chest, and the sensation wasn't as suffocating or unpleasant. He felt good, because the clothes fit and the rest was just as good.

When he walked into the living room again, he prepared himself some toast and sat down on the couch again, turning the TV on and checking the time for a moment. It was 4 PM. He wasn't sure when Tony would be back again, or if anyone else was in the tower. ''JARVIS?'' He asked as he looked up for a moment and waited for the AI to respond, which was immediately. ''Yes, Mister Parker?'' Peter smiled a little sheepishly at the formality and the AI's use of his correct gender, because he honestly thought it would call him a she. ''I, uh. Did Mister Stark say when he'd be back?'' The young man held onto the plate in his hands as he watched the TV, zapping to a channel about history and the like. ''According to his schedule, his last meeting will end in fifteen minutes.'' Peter smiled and nodded. ''Thanks. Also..- are there any other Avengers in the Tower?'' The AI was silent for a moment before responding: ''None of them. We are unaware of Banner's location, and due to the recent events, most of the Avengers have taken residence elsewhere, or they are busy with missions again.'' Peter lifted a brow as JARVIS gave him so much information. ''What about Thor?'' Peter looked fascinated if anything, he wanted to meet them so badly. ''Mister Odinson is currently traveling and attending to his own business. I am afraid I can't locate him.'' Peter leaned back in the couch and nodded once more. Thor was a god - it'd be awesome to see him! ''Okay..- thanks, JARVIS. Do I have full clearance?'' Peter took a bite from the toast as he crossed one leg over the other and digested the piece. ''No. From the ninety-three floors, you have access to five floors. You are limited to this floor, your floor, the lab and the ground floor, aswell as the garage.'' So Tony had given him access to more floors than just the normal ones..- interesting. ''Alright, cool.''

After half an hour, the elevator came up and Tony walked inside in his suit, looking slick and smooth as always. Typical Tony Stark. When Peter heard him, he was thankful, because watching TV was starting to bore him, and he didn't want to risk going into the lab alone, or go near the cars that Tony had. ''Hey, Mister Stark.'' Peter said enthusiastically and turned around on the couch to face him. Tony gave him a nod with a smile and walked to the nearby bar, pouring himself a glass of whiskey and plopping himself down on the couch, next to the kid. ''Hope you weren't bored without me, kiddo'?'' Peter grinned in return and shook his head, gesturing to the TV that still had the history channel on it. ''I'm great! I've been watching the TV, and I also wanted to thank you again. You know, for taking care of Aunt May, and school. I don't feel ready enough to go back again after what happened.'' Tony nodded as he sipped his whiskey and gave the kid a supportive pat on his shoulder. ''I know. My genius brain actually did think that through for once. And we're going for dinner in ten. Do you like Italian?'' Peter gave him a broad smile, nodding yet again. ''Great, because we're having Italian.'' Peter took the plate from the table and moved to the counter to wash it manually and looked over to Tony on the touch, still sipping his whiskey and looking a little tired. ''How was your meeting?''

Tony lifted a brow before he rolled his eyes. ''JARVIS told you, didn't he?'' Peter nodded as he let the water pour down on the plate and he cleaned it before drying it off with a towel. ''Yeah. Apparently you didn't tell him he couldn't. And I also have access to the lab and the garage? Is that a mistake?'' Tony shook his head and stood up, moving to Peter and offering him the glass, which he took and he washed that aswell. ''Not a mistake. You've grown up some, and I trust you enough not to wreck my lab, my cars, this floor, your floor, and the ground floor.'' Ofcourse it wasn't a mistake. Tony knew exactly what he was doing. ''Oh. Thanks.'' Peter said as he put the plate and the glass back in their places and turned around to eye Tony who was pondering about something. ''Are you ready? We're gonna go now.''

Tony gestured to the elevator and they went down to the garage where he had his dozen of cars standing ready. He picked an orange Jaguar and they both hopped inside before he drove out and into the city. The restaurant was closeby, so it only took a solid five minutes to reach it. And in the course of those five minutes, Peter couldn't stop yelling about how awesome the car was and its speed, and its design, and the fact JARVIS was integrated into it. When he parked the car infront of the restaurant, he moved to the other side to let Peter out, and they walked into the restaurant with a fancy Italian name that Peter wasn't sure how to pronounce.

''This place looks really expensive..'' Peter said as they walked inside, soon welcomed by the waiter who assigned them their seats in the back. ''As you requested, Mister Stark. What can I get the both of you?'' The friendly man eyed the pair as Tony looked to Peter and Peter looked back at Tony. Eventually, Tony made the choice. ''Whiskey for me, give him a cola or something.'' The man nodded and allowed them to see the menus so they could pick out their food. Peter sat there, a little nervous if anything, because he saw the looks the other guests gave them, and ofcourse, most of them were directed at Tony Stark. No surprise.

Tony picked a pasta dish as he closed the menu and placed it back in its holder, eying Peter with a smile. ''So, what're you having?'' Peter was looking through the menu and eventually resorted to pizza, because one, he didn't want something he didn't like. Two, he didn't want something he'd find disgusting, and three, pizza was a safe bet. ''I'll have pizza.'' Tony arched a brow and called the waiter over, who also happened to return with their drinks, placing the glass of whiskey with ice before Tony, and the glass of cola infront of the younger male. ''Thanks.'' They said in unison and the waiter grabbed his notepad for their orders. ''I'll have the gnocchi with the salmon, and Peter will have..'' Peter blinked and looked to the waiter. ''Oh..- Uh. The pepperoni pizza would be nice, thank you.''

Tony nodded in a thanks and then looked around for a moment before focusing his attention back to Peter. ''How're you feeling?'' He questioned as Peter took his glass and sipped the soda. ''Still okay. How about you? You look a little pale.'' Tony shrugged lightly. ''Meetings aren't really fun. Lately I'm just tired of all the attention. As Tony Stark, and as Iron Man.'' Peter looked a little confused at his words. ''But it's so cool you're Iron Man. Why's it so bad now?'' Tony rubbed his eyes for a moment and took a sip of his whiskey afterwards. ''Because people have a certain image of me in their heads, and it's probably nothing like the person I actually am. Just you wait, kid. You're gonna be happy you don't have to deal with the media.''

''It'd be cool I wouldn't have to hide myself anymore. But I guess it's better than being swarmed constantly. I mean, with my situation, I don't think that'd help me.'' Peter said in return. He was living a double life, and that was stressful, because only few knew, but despite that, he couldn't tell his Aunt about it, or M.J, or other people he deemed close enough. Maybe someday he could just be himself, as Peter, and as Spider-Man. ''Exactly, Peter. But you can always just web their mouths shut. Like you did with my hand before.'' Peter laughed as he shook his head at the thought. ''Well, yeah. You kinda had that coming, barging into my room like that.'' Tony found it funny aswell, but he also remembered something else. ''Reminds me of your onesie.'' Peter sighed lowly, pouting. ''Are you still on about that?'' Tony laughed and a few moments after, a woman appeared by their table.

''Ex-..excuse me, are you Tony Stark? I'm a big fan, and I'd love your autograph.'' She handed Tony a picture of him, and a pen, to which he signed the paper with and gave her his charming smile which made her knees weak at the spot. She blushed and he grinned. ''You're welcome, miss. Do have a good evening.'' Peter stared at the interaction, and suddenly, he felt annoyed. He wasn't sure why, but he swore he was glaring daggers at the woman who was swooning all over Tony. He really wanted to just web her mouth shut and shove her outside, but that'd be _very_ inappropriate, and what was even more inappropriate, was the fact that he was jealous. Jealous of _her_. Impossible. Why would he be? Nonsense.

When she finally left, their dishes were served and Peter thanked the gods he could distract himself. Tony ate his gnocchi with a pleased smile, and Peter ate his pepperoni pizza with a smile that was similar. The silence was there, but it was a good kind, because they were both enjoying their dishes and that was what they were here for - to get stuffed. After a good ten minutes, he pushed his plate back with the cutlery on it and he felt like he was obese. His stomach felt like it weighed a thousand pounds and he was barely able to move, atleast that's how it felt. Tony, however, looked perfectly content and finished his whiskey. And that reminded Peter he also had to finish his own, and that he did. ''Uuugh. I feel like I ate a horse.'' Peter exclaimed, rubbing his stomach. ''Hope you don't weigh as much as one, kiddo. You'd be heavy to lift.''

Tony winked at him and he stood up, gesturing to the exit of the restaurant. Peter's cheeks flushed and he quickly rid them of the red color, because he was confused. He and Tony thanked the staff and they went back to the Tower in the Jaguar. When they finally arrived, Tony yawned and he looked around the living room. ''Well, this is my stop.'' Tony stated as he dropped down on the couch and comfortably laid back. ''I'll go back to my floor. Is it okay if I go home tomorrow to grab some things? I also want to reassure May and talk to a friend.'' Tony just waved a lazy hand. ''Sure, sure.''

 _He really needed to talk to Ned._


	5. Chapter 5

When Peter finally got back to his own floor again, he was rather happy. And he hadn't felt truly happy in a long time. For him, it was something rare - and it wasn't just the usual smiles and the feeling of enjoying yourself, but this was something that was constantly kept awake. Tony was mostly always available for him, and it made him feel special, and in a way, he was. Though he wasn't sure what he exactly was to Tony. A son he never had? A distant cousin? Perhaps just a mere intern? He couldn't dwell on that too long, because if he was anything - he was positive he meant _something_ to Tony, and that would be enough.

The day had been filled with nothing but positivity, and without having to worry about anything, he could be himself again, and Tony would take care of everything. He still thought about the ordeal - the faces of those three men and their words. It was stuck in his head, and he couldn't get rid of the images. That moment of weakness, it was even worse than lying under a pile of heavy metal that could've crushed him, but even that he survived, and that was because of one man, and one man only. Tony. He understood, and many didn't seem to. The feeling of being someone you're not - the thought that people think they know you, but they don't - Tony could relate in many ways, and Peter was thankful that not always words were needed to make someone understand, especially with Tony.

But that brought something else to mind; his sudden feeling of jealousy. It was utterly ridiculous that he was feeling jealous. And he didn't even know why. Maybe something was wrong with him? Something else? He couldn't quite understand why he would develop a dislike towards people who were salivating over Tony, or people that were rude towards him, but what he did know, is that he developed a good relationship with the genius. He even dared to say that the both of them were friends, and they were interested in the same things, well, mostly. It was nice to have someone who was so smart as himself, though, he knew for sure that Tony was alot smarter, but that was obvious. He was alot older and therefore wiser - atleast, in some areas.

He shook his head as he walked back to his own floor, finally having arrived. When he checked the clock, he saw it was only 7:30 PM, and he had a while left before sleeping and going to school tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Afterall, Tony said he had a few days left, meaning he had the time to recover from the ordeal within those days. But Peter didn't want to wait untill tomorrow before speaking to Ned about what he was going through. It goes without saying that Ned was his best friend, and so was M.J, but he needed to talk to him first, because Ned knew what he really was. He knew that he was Spider-Man, and that reminded Peter of the question if he could lay eggs, and command other spiders around. He smiled as he rubbed the back of his head and propped himself up on the side of the bed, taking out his phone and eying the messages. He had completely forgotten to check his phone the past few days, because he had been sleeping in, or Tony came in to wake him up, so he didn't need to set an alarm on it either.

When he unlocked the phone, he could see several messages from Ned, ten from M.J, and two phone calls from Aunt May. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He knew those phone calls were from -before- Tony got to solving everything, so he didn't need to take care of Aunt May anymore, but it would be a polite thing to do; to give her an update on the situation. And his friends? Well, he was absent from school, and while Ned had more reason to worry with knowing his true identity, M.J was awfully clingy sometimes, like she was some private detective that wouldn't relent on solving this particular case. Sometimes, he swore that she was spying on him sometime. He leaned back on the bed, comfortably setting his head on the pillow as he got to calling Aunt May first. It took a moment for her to answer, but eventually, she answered the call and sounded overly worried.

''Oh, Zoe. How have you been? Tony Stark told me you've been staying at his place the past few days because he's helping you complete a school project. How is that going?'' Peter cleared his throat at the excuse that Tony had made up, fortunate for Peter, he didn't have to ask May about what Tony had told her. ''It's going great. We're finished soon. Is it okay if I come by tonight and let Ned come over? - Also, uh, sorry for not having called you earlier, you know how it is. Super busy and everything. School is exhausting me.'' He despised lying, but when you're Spider-Man, you sometimes had to, it was safer for him, and the people he held dear. He couldn't help but imagine that his beloved aunt would die because he had been reckless and got her into a situation where he had to watch her die. That was something he never wanted to endure - she deserved the best, and he would give her that if he could. She sounded less worried now, but still a little fussy over him. ''Aslong you're careful with that Tony Stark, Zoe. And ofcourse you can come home and let your friend stay for a while, but next time, please call earlier, I was really worried.'' The young man briefly gazed over at the door before his lips pressed together for a moment, swallowing the guilt he had been filled with. ''Sorry, May. I promise I will the next time, it's just my head goes haywire sometime.'' His aunt laughed briefly as she continued; ''I don't know what that means, but it sounds bad. Don't forget to drink alot of milk and eat lots of fruit, young lady, it's healthy for you, okay?''

Peter's teeth grinded for a moment at the constant wrong pronouns that were used, and the name he hated to the core. He couldn't lash out at her, and especially not over the phone. It was petty if he ever did such a thing, and he did not want to be the cause of her death if her heart decided to give up because of his anger. He had to compose himself, and control his words. ''Yeah, yeah. I'll be home soon, thanks May. I love you.'' He swallowed and closed his eyes for the moment as she responded. ''I love you too, dear. Please be careful on your way home.'' With that, he ended the phonecall and threw the phone against the wall in what he thought was supressed anger. He just couldn't contain it, and by the day, the pronouns got worse and worse. He was not _HER_. He was not _ZOE._ He was not a _FEMALE._ The phone dropped to the ground, and the case fell apart and the screen had shattered with deep cracks near the middle, but it seemed functional. Peter's hands digged into the sheets and his knuckles turned white, staring at the phone. He eventually webbed it back to his hand and placed it on the nightstand next to him - he'll have to apologize to Tony later about ruining the phone he was given and find a way to repay him. For now, he would tell JARVIS to inform Tony he was going home tonight and would come back another time.

He gathered his belongings and went downt he elevator with his backpack, still in the brand-new clothes he was given by his mentor, and his phone left in his room in Stark Tower. He felt a little annoyed as he walked home, and the one thing he forgot to do was ask Ned if he could come over tonight. He would have to call from the phone at his home. It was awfully silent and nothing was happening, and it was nice. He could enjoy the cool air outside and the wind ran through his brown locks as he walked his way home. Many people were outside, walking, talking and eating. He enjoyed living here, but sometimes..- sometimes he knew he couldn't keep living here forever. He wanted to start over again - a new life, once he had completed everything. When he finally arrived home, he unlocked the door with his key and closed it behind him, moving towards the living room and greeting his aunt who was busy watching tv. ''Hey.'' He said as he walked inside the room and stopped behind the couch, hands on the head of it as he leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. ''Can I use the phone?'' She offered him a soft smile as she nodded in return and gestured towards the kitchen - it was a landline phone, ofcourse. It's a good thing that Peter memorized phone-numbers. He dialled the number and eventually Ned answered, and it wasn't big news that he began interrogating him immediately. ''Peter! Where have you been? We haven't seen you at school, and like, people think you're sick, but I know better. Did you get beaten up by baddies? New villian? What's been happening?'' Peter rolled his eyes as he scratched the side of his neck, leaning his left forearm against the wall above the phone and kept his ears sharp. ''I've been through something bad, Ned..- Could you like, you know, come over for abit? I can't talk about it over the phone, since mine broke -..I'll, uh, I'll explain later.'' Ned seemed to calm down, gradually. ''Cool, okay, I'll be over in a sec. Give me abit.''

Peter hung up the phone and eventually took his backpack and moved upstairs, placing it in his room and sitting down on the edge of the bed again. He felt so confused and angry about everything. His jealousy - his transgender problem, and his overall worry that someone he cared about would get hurt, and he would die, or someone else would. He just stared at the door, eying the knob and eventually looked at his closet aside of it. Damn Tony just showed up in his house and turned his life around. He was grateful, and he hadn't had a male to follow as an example since Uncle Ben died because of that thief. He missed him..- he missed Uncle Ben alot, and he could only imagine how lonely it was for Aunt May and how much she missed him. A knock on the door came and Peter opened it up as he nodded at Ned and the other boy walked inside and set himself on the nearby chair facing the bed. ''May let me in. So what's wrong?'' Ned questioned, perusing his friend with curious eyes.

Peter just stood in the middle of the room and gestured with his hands. ''I think something's wrong with me.'' Ned just blankly stared and rolled his eyes. ''Well, you do have super-powers, for your information.'' Peter returned the same indignant, incredulous stare and sighed deeply. ''Not that. Something else, Ned.'' Ned just laughed and slowly nodded. ''Okay, like what? Did you finally lay eggs? Laser eyes? That'd be sooooo cool!'' Peter didn't want to tell Ned about what happened to him in that alleyway, he knew he'd worry and question him, and he wasn't in the mood for that. ''Mister Stark took me out for food at a restaurant..and when some woman came to ask for his autograph, I got annoyed. I think I got jealous.''

The man on the bed scrunched up his nose and his eyes narrowed for a moment before he came to several conclusions. ''You probably are jealous of Tony. I mean, he is pretty smart. Or you're just annoyed by the fact she bothered you two while you were having dinner. I don't know what else it could be, Peter.'' Peter folded his arms, and it briefly felt like he was hugging himself as his hands were tightening on his arms the grip became painful. ''I don't know. I guess you're right..'' Ned searched Peter for a while, seeing his eyes descend and his expression become conflicted, and that caused him to add his third conclusion. ''Or..you're in love with him.'' His eyes widened and his breathing almost stopped as he stood still and his heart raced inside his chest with a feeling that almost felt like it was squeezing together. He couldn't believe what Ned was saying, his best friend coming up with something that ridiculous, it didn't make any sense at all. It was beyond stupid, it was -..

Was it the truth? Peter slowly averted his gaze to Ned, whom carefully glanced back. ''Don't look at me like that, Peter..- I mean, I know you were into Liz..being straight and all as a male…- but, you know, with your body, it's..technically possible you're into men aswell. Or you just unconsciously developed feelings for him because of everything he's done for you. I'm trying to find out what it is exactly.'' Peter couldn't find the words, and he swallowed as he began shaking his head in slight panic. ''No. No, no, no. This -..this can't be happening. I can't be in..- in love with Tony Stark, Ned! Do you know how insane that sounds?! He's old enough to be my father, and he's my mentor!'' Ned looked aside for a moment. ''Tell your heart that. You can't exactly choose who you fall for, right?''

Peter dropped down as his eyes remained widened and he stared in disbelief at the ceiling. ''This isn't -that-..What I felt for Liz was love, this is..'' Upon realizing, he knew that this was the exact same. He had been feeling strange around Tony lately. His stomach turned, his cheeks filled with heat and he couldn't stop smiling around the man. There was admiration, but what it truly was, he was falling for him, unconsciously. Maybe he didn't link it all together because Tony was a man, first off. He was his mentor, he was straight, and it wasn't like that. At all.


	6. Chapter 6

After he realized that he was in love with Tony Stark, he hadn't been able to think straight any longer. It with messed with his head, and he couldn't possibly see his mentor in the same light as before. Everything became different now, and he didn't want things to become different. He liked what he had now, and if that would change, he could lose it all. But it is true. Confusion is part of it. That's how you find out if something's there. Emotions are never black and white. They're more like symptoms. You lose your breath every time they enter a room. Your heart beats faster when they walk by. Your skin tingles when they stand close enough to feel their breath. These were all the symptoms, and they were even more prominent than they were before with Liz - now they were out of control, and when he finally thanked Ned for coming over, he had spent his entire night awake and thinking about everything that had happened and hoping he was jealous of Tony's intelligence, or the attention he gained, or perhaps of the fact he didn't had to hide himself.

He _hoped._ But it wasn't working, and he was so afraid that he couldn't act normal with him anymore.

Peter felt bad, and this was one thing that he could add to the list of the things that bothered him. He was so conflicted, and he didn't have the time to think about this, yet it consumed an entire night, and he couldn't look any worse than he did as of now. He also didn't have school, and he could easily tell May that he had a few days off because of the school project. But now, how could he possibly face Tony, after discovering that he had turned into some drooling fangirl that he himself despised. He couldn't, and he wouldn't. He had to compose himself and get over his feelings for the man, and that would be quite the task, considering he only had just realized, and he wouldn't have known it if his friend hadn't had said it. So how do you proceed with getting over someone who is -almost- three times your age, you're a minor, he helped you become who you are, takes care of you without wanting anything in return, and worries the hell out of himself if you get into dangerous situations. Well.

Here are the answers.

A ) You don't.

B ) You can't.

C ) You never freakin' will.

This was terrible. He will just avoid Tony for the while being, that was the best option for now, it would clear his mind more, and he had the time to settle his feelings for the first man he ever fell for. So, for the next two days, he would stay home and help Aunt May around the house with cleaning, cooking and any other chores that she needed. That would definitely distract Peter from overthinking, and overthinking was a big weakness, because his spider-sense was damaged by it.

Two days later, he showered and put on clean clothing before moving downstairs and looking around for May who was nowhere to be seen. He walked to the kitchen, and no sign of her. He walked to the living room, and yet again, no sign of her. Eventually he started worrying, and he moved to the yard and saw her sitting outside with a glass of water and a book on her lap. He leaned against the doorframe and rubbed his forehead in relief, because damn, he got paranoid at times, and he was an idiot for constantly worrying about her. ''Goodmorning, May.'' He said as he walked outside and stretched his limbs into the air and arched his back with a low yawn. She looked up from the book and returned the same smile, gesturing with a hand for him to sit down on the chair nearby. ''You know, I was thinking of fixing some things around the house. I mean, perhaps new paint, or repair the sink upstairs that has been broken for a while.'' Peter said as he glanced at his aunt and tilted his head.

May seemed a little thoughtful, and she looked a little tired aswell. Perhaps she had a difficult night. ''I would appreciate that, Zoe. Thank you very much.'' Peter offered an awkward smile as he bit through the name and nodded shortly after as he gazed towards the kitchen and then back to his aunt. ''Is everything okay, May? You look a little tired..''

She cleared her throat and rubbed her eyes for a moment before shaking her head and gesturing with a hand she was fine, but Peter didn't buy it. ''May..'' She sighed rather softly and looked down for a moment. ''Today would've been our anniversary..''

Anniversary.

How could he have forgotten?

He turned pale for a moment as he closed his eyes and his hands tightened into fists. ''Sorry -..I forgot..- I'm sorry. I've so much on my mind right now and..- '' She leaned forward and moved her right hand over to his and softly patted him with her fingers. ''I don't blame you at all, but I miss him so much. It's been a while now, but I always keep wondering how life would have been if he was still here. To have the person I love still with me. It would have been such a wonderful feeling..- but ofcourse you are too young to understand.'' Peter felt sad now, his eyes glazed and his lips pressed together, feeling like he was useless to his aunt, and he knew that she blamed him for letting the thief pass. He was so consumed by money back then…- so blind and such a fool. Greed was cruel, and he learned from it, eventhough he wished Uncle Ben didn't have to pay for it. That man deserved better. ''I get if you still blame me for it.'' He said bitterly as he took a sharp inhale through his nose and his heart thumped inside his chest. ''Ofcourse not..- that was not your fault and you know this. He could have been dangerous, and who knows if he could have shot you. I am very thankful you're here with me, well and alive, dear.'' Peter frowned and he moved from the chair to hug her, and she embraced him in return.

''I forgot to mention that Tony Stark called last night. He hasn't heard from you in two days, and he mentioned that your phone is being repaired. He said he would deliver it to you today evening.'' She leaned back from the hug and wiped his tears away with her finger, reassuring him that everything would be okay. But Peter knew she meant well, it was only that she didn't know everything, and he wasn't sure if everything would be okay. And now he had heard that Tony had called, he was concerned. It had only been two days, it hasn't been that long, but perhaps Tony was concerned aswell. Peter did go through that ordeal, and that was reason enough for his mentor to worry about his mental state. He had to come up with an excuse for his phone - a good excuse as to how he got it damaged that badly, but knowing Tony, he would just pull up the security feeds and watch those to figure out the truth. But wouldn't that impair his privacy? Yes, it would. ''..Did he say when?'' He spoke in almost a whisper as May tilted her head, brushing a white strand behind her ear. ''I believe after dinner - he mentioned 7 PM.'' Peter nodded, he'd have to endure this for now. Besides, he'd only come to deliver the phone, and Peter would express his gratitude and say he'll be going back to school and mention that he has less time for Tony now school is getting so busy and that'd be a perfect excuse, right? ''Thanks, I'll get to doing the chores.'' He nodded and eventually stood up before May called him and he turned around once again to face her. ''Are you okay?'' She questioned him and he nodded with a soft smile that was fake through and through. He was not okay, and he won't be for a while.

When he made dinner and finally cleaned up and did the dishes, he put everything back in the cabins and the shelves where it belonged, and that is when he heard a car on the street approaching his house and footsteps came. He moved to the door and there he was - Tony Stark in all his living glory. Sophisticated, intelligent, wise, funny, handso-.. Peter internally facepalmed at the thoughts he had as Tony stood at the doorway with a questionable expression. ''Can I come in, or are you going to leave me here?'' He said in amusement as Peter cleared his throat, and he could already feel that his heart was out of control, his cheeks felt warm and he was lost for words. He couldn't fantom the situation, and he felt so nervous around the genius - more than he ever did before, and that didn't bode well for him. Peter stepped aside and Tony moved in with a charming smile that made everyone weak.

''So, I haven't heard from you in a while.'' He said, keeping his voice low enough for Peter to hear as he took out the phone from his pocket and extended it towards the young man. ''Yeah, sorry. I've not been feeling well.'' He said in return, avoiding Tony's eyes before he attempted to take his repaired phone from Tony's hand, but the genius kept his hand closed around the phone, and Peter wasn't going to pry it out of his hand. He stared dumbly at the man's hand and Tony was eying Peter through his dark sunglasses. ''Are you going to tell me how you broke your phone?'' He inquired as he opened his hand and planted the phone in the boy's hand before stuffing both his hands in the pocket of his jacket.

''It must've fell out of my jacket when I was in that alleway..'' he lied, clearing his throat and placing the phone away in the pocket of his pants before he glanced towards the kitchen and eventually back to the ground. Tony seemed like he suspected something, but he wasn't going to inquire, it was just a phone, anyway, that's what Peter hoped. Materialistic. ''Well, you suddenly left the other day, so I got a little worried when you didn't give me an update, kiddo'..'' Peter became more nervous, and it almost felt like he was suffocating on the spot as his throat became dry and his eyes kept themselves from moving. ''The tracker in your bag..'' Tony slowly started as he removed the sunglasses from his eyes and he put them away. ''I didn't want you to get hurt again, so I turned its audio on from the past days. Nothing special, save for one conversation..'' The boy started to grind his teeth as he swallowed a lump in his throat and he began to sweat profusely from the nerves consuming him. He didn't dare to look at Tony right now. ''I heard you're in love with me.'' Tony said, flatly.

Peter understood Tony's worry, ofcourse, but he also felt anger inside of himself because Tony listened into a private conversation, and he wasn't meant to hear it. Not -that- one. Any conversation but that one. Eventually, Peter looked upto him, and while thinking Tony was smiling, he looked tired and rather serious. ''You weren't supposed to know…- I mean, I didn't even know. How..-''

Tony looked up and around for a moment as he seemed a little conflicted himself. ''You already lied to me before, and I didn't say anything about it untill things cooled down. And then _that_ happened, and do you know how I felt when I saw those men all over you? Damn, kid, I was worried. I have every right to invade your privacy if I think you're in danger, especially with the situation right now.'' Peter furrowed his brows, defiantly, and his fists tightened as he felt his blood starting to boil. ''You had no right! This is my private life!''

Tony rolled his eyes as he scoffed. ''Well, it happens to include me, doesn't it? Am I one of your high-school crushes?'' Peter swallowed. ''It's not that simple..- I wasn't going to tell you, and I was going to get over it. It's probably not even a crush..'' His mentor pursed his lips and the yelling inside began to draw attention from the outside. ''Must be a funny prank, kid. Very funny, boy, I can't stop laughing. I would've thought you matured in the recent months.''

Peter couldn't believe how ignorant Tony sounded, how cold and mocking. ''How is this my fault?! You've been pampering me constantly, coming to my rescue and seducing me..''

The older man stared indignantly at Peter, raising a brow incredulously and eventually just laughed it off as he used to do when he was trying to be serious. ''Oh, right. Seducing you. Well, I supposed I'll just get myself arrested. I mean, that's number one on my to-do-things before I die.'' Slowly, Aunt May stood up from the chair outside after she went there again after dinner and she moved inside the kitchen, silently standing there and watching the two argue. ''That's not even funny! Not everything is funny! You don't know anything about me!'' Peter said as Tony finally began to feel guilty for mocking the man's feelings. ''Oh, boy…- you are serious about this.'' Peter's eyes were flooding with water and he just glared at Tony who thought this was truly a joke and went along with it, but clearly, that wasn't the case. ''You're just a rich asshole…'' Peter stated before turning around and moving up the stairs. ''Peter, wait!'' Tony yelled as he then caught a glimpse of Aunt May in the kitchen, whose eyes widened and she stared at Tony. ''Who..- who is Peter?'' Tony silenced himself for a moment before he sighed and his arms moved around himself to comfort him. ''..Zoe is Peter.'' He said as he now blamed himself for not thinking. ''But Zoe is a woman, Tony.''

Tony shook his head. ''I think we need to talk.''


	7. Chapter 7

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. It was unfair, and Peter couldn't fantom the entire situation. Infact, the situation had become worse, and not only did he feel terrible about his body, he also felt absolutely conflicted about his mentor. He didn't like arguing, and especially not with the man that had given him so much - which he was thankful for - but that didn't give Tony a free ticket into his personal life. But was Tony wrong on this? Were they both to blame? Or was Peter being a spoiled brat who felt he could justify everything and insult his rolemodel without seeing things from the other man's perspective.

Peter ran up the stairs as quick as he could, and he hauled himself up in his room for the moment. He was angry - his blood was boiling and he was seething like he had never done before. He felt disregarded, and most of all, disrespected. Even despite the age difference, it didn't mean Tony could do whatever he liked and Peter couldn't oppose it - they had a functional relationship, and it meant that they had to show mutual respect and be considerate. But now, it felt like it had crumbled apart entirely, and that made his heart hurt.

He didn't even care about that stupid phone anymore, he just wanted to get away from everything, and hoped to god that it wouldn't affect his spider-sense. But, in the back of his mind, he knew this would. This was just the cherry ontop of the pie, and in the worst possible scenario he could've imagined in his head.

He heard them talking downstairs, and while he wanted to remain in the house and listen to the conversation, his emotions wouldn't let him. His brains went haywire and logical thinking was all but possible - it was all inane. The young man grabbed his bag and went out to take his suit, but when realization struck his head, he recalled that Tony had taken it from him to make those adjustments. With the rage becoming the victor in his head, he threw the bag aside and moved to the window. His eyes were red, and they felt like they were swollen - waves and waves of tears were held back as he clenched his fists and turned around, moving towards his closet and grabbing his old suit that once was compared to an onesie - it would have to suffice. When he finally put the old suit one, which wasn't so much of a suit, but more like a juvenile training outfit, he returned to his spot at the window.

Outside, the sky had turned dark, and much like his mood, it was preparing to unleash a storm. Strangely, in the chaos and darkness of the rainfalls that had began to pour down, Peter found comfort. The rain was something that not many liked - just like himself. He was impure - a malformed human being, doomed to damnation and salivating over an older man. The rain would be his friend in this dire time, and while he might be exaggerating, he was allowed to feel the way he felt. Nobody else could tell him that his feelings were wrong, for they were his own, not theirs. He climbed onto the edge and eventually extended his right hand and a string of web made its way from his palm to the other side of the opposing building. He disappeared into the night, and if he had the choice, he'd disappear forever from this nightmare.

Tony had taken the liberty of requesting to continue to the conversation in the living room, and May was not opposed to the notion. She sat down on the couch, and Tony sat next to her, with a respective distance between the two. The genius felt a little in dismay, knowing that his intern was upstairs and probably crying about the ordeal, as he'd term it. He didn't want to upset the kid, but the situation unfortunately went that way, and all he could do was pick up the broken pieces and try to repair them. He cared for Peter - more than the kid probably realized, and the thought that something would happen to him really messed with his mind.

He crossed one leg over the other as his lips pursed and his eyes, after a moment, finally had the courage to face Peter's aunt. May looked at him in anticipation with evident confusion littered over her face, likely not having expected an argument between the two of them. ''Well, May. See, Zoe has been an intern for a long while with me - but she never introduced herself as 'Zoe', but as Peter. I had reason to believe that he was not doing it as a joke.''

May blinked several times in disbelief as she moved a hand to cover her mouth. After composing herself at hearing such information, she eventually managed to lower the hand and nod - likely indicating that he should proceed. Tony, who understood what she meant, continued as desired. ''Only recently, I thought I should have asked him what was going on and while some girls dress like men, they remain females, and they are happy being one. With her -..him, I felt it wasn't the case, and I eventually confronted him and he told me he is transgender.''

Tony was trying to be careful with his wording. He didn't like saying 'she', when he spoke of Peter, who is a 'he', but he was trying to make his aunt understand, and the use of the pronouns were a little confusing, but he was a smart man - he managed to keep them separated on the subject. ''Transgender means that one is born in a body they don't want. In this case, she feels like a he - it's why he dresses like a guy and acts like one. I'm sure you've never seen him in a dress, or wearing make-up, or something?'' May look a little pale, probably trying to make sense of everything in her head, and being the old lady that she is, and not being used to these modern terms, she struggled. Eventually, she spoke; ''Oh dear..- my poor girl..-'' She cleared her throat and shook her head. ''I didn't know. All this time and I didn't know. If she -..if he truly feels like that, I won't take away his chance for happiness, Tony..''

May leaned back a little as she ran a hand over her features and her lips remained parted for a while. ''Sh-..he was always like this. Even when younger..- always liked things that boys liked. All these times I said Zoe to h-..to..- to him.'' Her eyes welled up and she couldn't look more guilty and lost. Tony cleared his throat as he hadn't expected such an emotional response, and especially not the guilt from her side. He hesitated before he reached his arm out to pat her shoulder, in a rather comforting and soothing motion. ''He will need surgery and hormone injections, May. You will need to sign the paper for him. The earlier he starts, the better the results will be - and the happier he'll end up.'' Tony offered her a rather reassuring smile as she lowly sobbed and eventually offered a weak smile in return. ''I -..I shall talk to him about this. A heart to heart, as they say it..'' May said with a shaky voice.

The billionaire offered her another smile as he slowly got up from his seat and looked to her. ''I'll go check up on the kid if you don't mind.'' She shook her head, and he took this as approval. The man adjusted his suit and ran a hand over his eyes as he made way to the staircase and looked up. Only ten minutes ago he was yelling at the kid he held so dear and he had invaded his privacy and heard something he shouldn't have, but knowing that the kid was in love with him made their relationship all the more strained. He would make many sacrifices to ensure Peter's life - more than he could imagine, and that only made it more clearer that he did care alot for him. He wanted to be there for him - he wanted to break that cycle of shame as his father wasn't there for him.

As he moved up the stairs, he looked at the door where Peter was in, or so he had assumed. He knocked once, and no response. He knocked another time, and yet again, silence was his answer. The third time would be the deciding one; he knocked once again and he had no reply. He resorted to his AI; ''JARVIS, is Peter in this room?'' The AI made several calculations and tracked Spider-Man by the use of the tracker that Tony had put in his bag, and it appeared the bag was indeed inside the room. ''Mister Parker is currently not in his room. The bag was left behind.'' Tony rolled his eyes - ofcourse, he told Peter this. ''JARVIS, scan the tracker in his phone. He wouldn't leave it behind.'' Tony's arms moved around himself in order to keep himself calm as he was slowly getting more worried about Peter's whereabouts. ''Mister Parker is currently on top of the roof of one of the abandoned buildings bordering the Hudson River. There is heavy rainfall and a thunderstorm that will last approximately until 4 AM.''

Rain, a thunderstorm and the roof of a building. A wonderful combination. No, it's not. ''Can't be Point Break.'' He muttered to himself as he turned around and moved down the stairs again and eventually back to the living room. May was not there, so he looked for her in the kitchen. He folded his arms as she was making tea, presumably to calm herself down. ''He's..asleep, so, I'll come back tomorrow.'' Tony said, as much as he hated lying, he didn't want to worry May more - it was a white lie that was needed, and now, he needed to find the kid before he got himself into trouble. He would be lying to himself if he claimed he didn't feel bad.

Once he said his farewells to May, he closed the door behind him and called his suit to him - it wasn't long before the intricate, powerful armor hugged his frame once again and he was hovering in the air once again, flying towards towards the Hudson River and the buildings that were for the most part warehouses and the like. Few of them were abandoned. On his interface, he could see that Peter wasn't far away, and when the distance became closer and only a few metres were left, he finally laid his eyes on a red being that had put itself on the open area of the roof. He wasn't sheltering himself and his 'onesie', was drowning in water. Tony landed with a thud on the top of the roof as he approached Peter who was lying on the ground with both his hands over his eyes and the raining pouring down on him.

''Go away.'' Peter said the moment Tony had landed. He did not want to face Tony right now, actually, he considered if he ever wanted to see the man again after their argue. He was mocked and laughed at, and having endured such a feeling is demeaning. Tony made a scan of the building to make sure nobody was around, and that made the possibility of them being able to converse as Tony and Peter - mostly for Peter's sake. ''We can talk this through. Come on. You know I didn't mean to mock you - I just thought you weren't serious. Do you know how strange it is to hear a kid like you likes someone like me?'' Tony was riddled with guilt, and he would have to apologize - not find an excuse like he always makes, or laugh it all away. ''I..- I apologize, alright? I'm not exactly the best role-model in the world, and I know we had our differences, but can you just home to May? She needs you back - I need you back.''

The young man played silent for a while before he eventually pushed himself up and he stormed towards Tony with balled fists at his sides. ''You made fun of me. Like you're always the best and thinking you can never be wrong.'' His spider-sense was definitely damaged now as his emotions ran free like a horde of ferals. ''Just for one moment I thought you could treat me equally - not like this damn kid you see me as.'' Tony cleared his throat, even if it couldn't be seen. ''I didn't forget about all of the things you've done for me, but..- listening in into my personal conversations with my friend..- I didn't want you to find out. I didn't want anything to ruin what we have - especially not something like this.''

Eventually, Tony lifted a part of his mask that showed some of his face and the guilt on it was self-explanatory. ''I know, kid. It won't get inbetween us - trust me. But you have to understand me aswell. I will be responsible when I have to bury you - have you put in a coffin, six feet underground..- and what will I tell your aunt? You have to see reason.'' Peter eventually gave in, knowing that what Tony was saying was right. Tony thought ahead, and Peter didn't consider that. He didn't consider that Tony cared for him. Not this much. ''Let me bring you back to May. She doesn't know you're gone. Get a shower and talk to her. - I didn't have a choice when I called you Peter. She seems to understand.''

The boy's gaze descended and he felt like the air had left his lungs. His aunt knew now, and he wasn't the one who had told her, but Tony did. In a way, it felt better, as he probably could never face his aunt and tell her outright that he was transgender - that he was a male. He was just hoping that Tony was right, and that she understood as he seemed to. ''Thanks..'' He muttered as his gaze lifted to the genius' again. ''We'll talk tomorrow..'' He nodded as he ran towards the edge of the building and made his way home in the despicable weather.

Tony closed his helmet again and he sighed lowly as he turned around and made his way back to the Tower. This would be a long, sleepless night.


End file.
